


Bloody Perfect

by Minishadow4000



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Insults, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-05-21 10:03:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14913323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minishadow4000/pseuds/Minishadow4000
Summary: After a misunderstanding between Jack and Bunny, Bunny works to fix their relationship, getting more then he could ever hope for.





	1. Cold Wind

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic. Feel free to tell me if there are any mistakes, as I have no beta. Please tell me what you think! I will warn of any tags that may occur in each chapter, if there is nothing, there are no warnings that apply.

     Jack zipped through the trees, never staying on one branch for more than a second. He was grinning like a loon, the wind singing in his ear. He let out a whoop of exhilaration. He loved going fast, it made him feel free, like he could do anything, when in reality, that was far from the truth. Ever since Jack had joined the Guardians so long ago, he never felt free. He jumped from place to place, never resting, protecting children and spreading joy. Yet, instead of feeling happy and grateful for finally being seen, Jack felt resentful and angry. Not at the children, of course, never at the children, but angry and resentful towards the Man in the Moon and the other Guardians. Sure, the Guardians mostly tried to make up for the three hundred years of neglect but Jack was very hesitant to accept those attempts. He almost felt like the Guardians tried to buy his forgiveness. The Man in the moon on the other hand, had stayed as quiet as he had for the near three hundred and eighteen years of Jack's life. Hidden amongst the trees, the moon's beams of light couldn't reach him very well. Jack knew that shadows and darkness were the realm of Pitch Black, yet he had always preferred the shelter of the dark and shadows.

     The sound of a branch snapping brought Jack out of his thoughts and back to reality and he raised his staff, prepared to attack or defend in an instant. 

     "Easy there, mate," said a voice just to the left of Jack. Out of the shadows stepped the Easter Bunny. Jack shifted into a more relaxed stance but he still kept himself at the ready for an attack just in case.

     "Hey Cottontail, what are you doing in a place like this? Don't you know that these woods are infested with wolves? How are you going to handle them when you fled for such a little doggy?" Jack said, slightly mockingly at the end. Bunny glared at the boy but decided to ignore him. 

     "Came lookin' for ya. North called a meeting and you never showed so I've been sent to fetch ya."

     "The meeting was tonight? Damn, time really flies when you're having fun, not that you would know much about fun," Jack said snarkily.

     Bunny rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Jack's flailing arms. "Are you going to come willingly or will I have ta shove you in another bag?"

     Jack glared at Bunny before jerking his arm out of Bunny's hold. "Yes, yes, fine. I'll meet you there." With that said, Jack jumped into the wind and flew off, hopefully heading to the North Pole. The wind, out of Jack's annoyance or of her own maliciousness, sent a cold breeze toward Bunny. He shivered violently and started grumbling about rude spirits and their rude winds. He tapped the ground twice and jumped down, wanting to get to the Pole as quickly as possible.

******************************************************************************************************

     Bunny popped out of the ground not far from the entrance of the pole. Some days, he cursed the well protected fortress with its intricate wards. Said ward forced him to exit his tunnels outside of not only the fortress, but also anywhere within a kilometre of it.

    Running as quick as he possibly could, Bunny made it to the door and knocked. A yeti answered and let him in. He, as quickly as was still polite, made is way to the sitting room in the residential wing. Inside, he saw Tooth, North and Sandy chatting. Tooth was adamantly talking about the epidemic that was tooth decay and cavities while also lecturing North about possible sugar-free alternatives to his sweets. North was simply laughing while shaking his head at her antics while Sandy simply laughed. They all looked up as Bunny walked into the room, looking around for, presumably, Jack. 

    "Where is Jack?" asked North, his eyebrows furrowing together.

    "He told me he would be on his way. He bailed before I could grab him and bring him with me. The little sucker's wind froze me too," Bunny said as he made his way to the hearth. 

    The others looked at each other, seeming to debate whether to say something. Finally, North opened his mouth to speak when a sharp knock at the window gained everyone's attention. On the other side was a floating Jack. Sandy, who was closest to said window, opened it to allow Jack to enter. Fluttering to the floor, Jack leaned on his staff and looked at the others.

    "What did I miss?" he asked with a smirk, know fully well that they had yet to start the meeting. 

    "Nothing. You missed absolutely nothing. In fact, we were just about to start the meeting," said Tooth. She fluttered over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay Jack?" she asked. 

    Jack shook her hand off his shoulder and started to walk around. "Of course, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

     Sandy and North traded a look while Tooth tried, unsuccessfully, to give Jack a hug. All the while, Bunny had warmed up and had turned to face the group. He could see the concern on North and Sandy's faces as well as worry on Tooth's. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to be annoyed by the meeting and the others in the group, yet he managed to hide his emotions before anyone could see them. Anyone except Bunny that is. He wondered why Jack disliked the meetings so much. North cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. 

     "We should start this meeting now that everyone is here, da?" The others nodded and everyone took a seat for the meeting. 


	2. Dark Forest

     The minute that the meeting was over, Jack left the Pole in a rush. He didn't want to stay in that place with them any longer then he had to. Jack jumped into the wind and let her take him wherever she wanted, he trusted her implicitly. She had been with him since he had woken up, newly resurrected. His mind turned back to the Guardians. He truly wanted to make friends with them, but he couldn't let go of his suspicion. He was scared that they weren’t genuine in their desire for his friendship and wanted to use him for something or another. 

    Lost in thought, Jack hadn't realized that he was over Burgess. Calls from Jamie and his friends brought a smile to Jack's face. Touching down on a nearby rocky outcrop, Jack smiled at the kids. Kids were always genuine in Jack's opinion. They were never scared to say what they really thought, even if it wasn't socially acceptable. He had once heard someone compare children to tiny drunk people because of their lack of a verbal filter. 

    "Hey guys! How are you all doing?" he said, balancing himself of the tips of his feet. 

     The children clambered around him, all talking at once. "I got an A on my math test!" cried Monty. Pippa pushed him out of the way and gave Jack a hug. Claude and Caleb pushed each other while telling Jack about the newest teacher at school. Cupcake and Jamie waited until the others had given Jack a second to breath. Jamie then ran into Jack's arms and snuggled into his chest. Jack smiled down at Jamie, ruffling his hair. 

     Cupcake waved shyly at Jack but he reached out and grabbed her in a hug with his free arm. Releasing both children, Jack sat down on the rock so that he was on same level as the children but still comfortable. 

     "What have you been up to Jack?" asked Pippa shyly. 

     Jack shrugged, "Out and about. There isn't as much for me to do now. It's spring here and autumn in the southern hemisphere. Besides, even if I was busy, I would still take time out of my day to talk to you guys." 

     *******************************************************************************************************

     The group chatted for a while before the children's parents called them in for supper. Wishing the children a good-night, Jack flew away, heading toward the forest near Burgess. He always felt a connection to this town and to the little pond that marked the border of the forest. Now, after regaining his memories, Jack understood that connection. He had lived in this town when he had been alive, back when it had been nothing more than a small hamlet in the thirteen colonies. He gently landed on the water, freezing it over. As he walked across the surface, ice melted behind him.

     Talking to the children today had helped him get out of his darker thoughts about the Guardians. Jack wandered around the woods, the sun's descent making the forest darker every minute. A shadow appeared to be following Jack as he made meandered, lost in thought. 

    "Just come out Pitch, I know you're there," stated Jack with an almost bored tone. 

    Pitch materialized out of the shadows, slinking his way up beside Jack. Together, they walked in a peaceful silence for a few kilometres. 

    Finally, Pitch broke the silence. "How are you doing? Dealing with such big personalities like the Guardians can be tiring." 

   Jack simply laughed. "I'm fine Pitch. I know your concerned but I'll be fine, I always am. They're just a bit too much sometimes. How are you doing Pitch? Sandy keeping you busy?" Jack's voice had changed, it was no longer the happy, cheerful sound. Instead, Jack's voice had gotten colder and more cynical. Pitch simply shook his head with an annoyed sigh. 

     Pitch and Jack, unbeknownst to the Guardians, were friends. Even though Jack was mainly happy and cheerful, much like the frost he spread, also had a dark, dangerous side. He and his frost had killed many, both spirits and humans. Jack had always tried his best to avoid people in general but especially children. That, unfortunately, was not always possible. Jack know and understood this, he knew better than to suppress that side of him. He had once before tried to fully supress his darker side and it created a deadly backlash. Said backlash buried the entire eastern coast of the United States of America under a few feet of snow, on Easter Sunday on top of that. Bunny had still not forgiven him for his loss of control.

     The two finally came to a stop atop of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Jack sat on the edge and kicked his feet in the wind while Pitch stood behind him. 

     "I don't know if I could ever fit in with them, much less trust them. They wouldn't understand that part of me. They would force me to lock it away, or they would just get rid of me." Jack started, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

     Pitch put his hand on Jack's shoulder, in a gesture of comfort. "They don't deserve to keep you if they can't accept all of you. You are the sum of your parts, not only one facet." 

     Jack sighed. He knew Pitch was right but it still worried him. "Thanks Pitch."


	3. Betrayed Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter
> 
> Minor violence

     Bunny jumped down into his tunnels and ran back to his Warren. Jack had acted weird during their encounter and during the meeting. Bunny had been able to see that Jack had still been very defensive when Bunny had tracked him down. At the meeting, Jack was more or less, relaxed. He had a tendency to be always on the move, almost as if he didn't feel safe enough to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Almost as if he didn't trust them. 

    That thought caused Bunny to almost run into a wall. Jack didn't trust them yet. They had ignored him for almost three hundred years. Bunny had made it worse with his blow-up in '68. God, how had he been so blind. Resolving to make this better, or to at least get more information from Jack, Bunny changed direction and headed towards Jack. 

*************************************************************************************************** 

    Jumping out of his hole, Bunny saw Jack and Pitch side by side, overlooking the ocean. Immediately, betrayal filled him. Jack was working with Pitch! Had they been together all this time. Without his consent, a growl made its way out of his throat, drawing the other two's attention. 

    Jack heard a growl and whipped his head around, seeing a very enraged Bunny. He looked terrifying, almost as scary as in '68. Jack rushed to his feet and braced himself, ready incase of a fight. 

    Pitch, however, simply glanced at the enraged bipedal rabbit and sighed. "Calm down rabbit, we were just talking. I'm not corrupting your little snowflake." Pitch then slunk into the shadows. 

     Bunny glared at Jack, who was clinging onto his staff. Bunny stalked forward and swiped at Jack, aiming to separate him from his staff. Jack reacted by leaping back, away from the paws, and landed on air instead of ground. Not expecting this, Jack fell towards the ocean, waves beneath him furiously crashing against the cliff. With a scream, the wind caught Jack a few centimetres from the waves and carried him away. 

    Bunny, all the while, watched with horror and sick satisfaction. He hadn't wanted to hurt the kid, but he also felt as though Jack deserved a little roughing up. Turning around, he made a tunnel and head back to the Pole, to warn North and the others of course. 

*************************************************************************************************** 

    Jack clung to his staff, tears dripping from his eyes. What had he done wrong? He was just talking to a friend and Bunny attacked him. Did Bunny hate him or was it because of Pitch? Would the other Guardians react like this? Floating along the water, Jack pondered these questions, knowing that he may never know the answers to them but unable to stop himself from thinking about it. 

    Finally, the wind dropped him off at the edge of a forest. Jack recognized it as the forest he normally rested in. The wind must think he need to rest, and she was right. Exhaustion weighed at his bones, pulling him down. Rarely did he feel tired, much less exhausted. Flying to his little burrow, Jack crawled in. Falling upon the covers, Jack cured up and was quickly asleep. The wind blew so that a blanket resting nearby would cover Jack before she too settled down for a nap.


	4. Bloody Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violence and insult warning
> 
> Italics = dreamsand used by Sandy

     Popping out of his tunnel, Bunny stormed into the workshop. The yetis cleared a path for him, some even outright jumping clear of him. Slamming open the door to North's office, he made his way over to the alcohol cabinet and poured himself a drink. 

     Stunned, North simply sat in his chair and watched his long-time friend. Shaking himself from his trance, he prepared himself for a rollercoaster of emotion from the rabbit. 

    "Bunny, old friend, what is wrong?" he asked cautiously. 

    "You want to know what the problem is?! The problem is that stupid boy! He's been betraying us the entire time!" ranted Bunny as he paced. 

    "Boy? Do you mean Jack?" 

    "Yes, him" shouted Bunny while pointing at North. 

    "Bunny, please sit and tell me why you think he is betraying us? It would not do to destroy any relationship with Jack if it is simply a misunderstanding. I am having trouble following your story," pleaded North, hoping to calm the raging rabbit. 

    Bunny sighed and sat down. Taking a swing of his alcohol, Bunny began recounting the encounter with Jack and Pitch. 

************************************************************************************************** 

    Elsewhere in the world, Jack went to find a person whom he could talk to, probably the only one who would understand his perspective. He thought of Sandy. The man and he had never really been close but Jack saw him every night and often would stop for a little chat, even before he joined the Guardians. Making up his mind, he went to find the man of sand. 

    "Hey Sandy! How are you doing buddy?" 

     _Good and you? _Replied Sandy.__

__

__

____

____

    "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm having a little problem and I hoped that you could help me?" Answered Jack, looking a little downcast. 

     _Of course, my friend. Tell me what it is and I will do my best to help._ Nodded Sandy, somberly. 

__

__

    Jack then launched into the story, of how Bunny had come across he and Pitch talking, and of Bunny's reaction. 

    "What should I do? Should I go apologizes? I didn't do anything wrong but I don’t want to cause trouble for anyone." 

     Sandy sat on his cloud of dreamsand, considering what would be the best thing to help his friends. He knew that Jack was having trouble adjusting to the Guardians and the attention he got from them. On the other hand, he considered Bunny. His people had been slaughtered by Pitch and they had fought Pitch recently. Sandy could see that his furry friend might consider Jack talking with the dark spirit as betrayal. 

    _You should try to explain to them what was going on. I know that you and Pitch are friends but they don't._

    Jack read the sand and nodded. That made sense. 

    "Well then I'm going to do that. Want to come with me?" Wondered Jack. 

    Sandy shook his head no. He had dreams to spread to the children of the world. Even so, he worried for Jack as the young man zoomed off towards the Pole. Shaking his head, he returned to his work, he didn't want any dreams to be affected by his worry. 

************************************************************************************************** 

    Landing in front of the doors, Jack's anxiety spiked. He was worried that they would be angry at him. Taking a deep breath, Jack knocked and walked through the door into the Pole. Everything was as it should be. Yetis were working on toys for next Christmas and elves were running around, creating and adding to the chaos. Steeling himself, Jack continued deeper into the workshop. 

    Suddenly, he heard angry shouting from a room not far off to the right. Immediately, he recognized the voices of North and Bunny. Hesitantly, he approached the room and knocked on the door. 

    A delicate knock on the door alerted the two that there was someone behind the door. North and Bunny shared a look before North opened the door, admitting the knocker. In walked a very nervous looking Jack Frost. 

    "What are you doing here?" Half-growled Bunny. 

    Straitening his back, Jack replied, "I can to explain what you saw. It's wasn't what you think it was." 

    "Sure, it wasn't. Because it sure looked like you and Pitch were being real chummy with each other from my perspective." 

    Jack's eyes flared with anger at Bunny's words. "Yes, well I am friends with Pitch. He was willing to speak with me unlike you." 

    "So, you admit that you talk to him! How are we supposed to trust you when you keep company with such people!" Shouted Bunny. 

    "Just because I talk with him does not mean that I agree with everything that he does! If I truly believed in his ideology, I would have joined him! He gave me ample opportunities to do so!" yelled back Jack, having gotten closer to Bunny in his anger. 

    Bunny, fed up of the yelling, pushed Jack. Jack retaliated by hitting bunny with his staff. The two started to fight in earnest. North only broke them up when he saw blood. 

    "Break it up you too. Fighting will solve nothing in this situation," said North, calming wading in between the two fighting spirits. 

    Wrenched apart, Jack caught his breath. He felt blood drip out of his nose and land on his lips. Bunny on the other hand, had blood dripping from his split lip. It ran into his fur and he impatiently wiped it away. 

    "Good, so, both of you, please sit down. We're going to talk about this, without violence," said North, with a particular glare at Bunny, as he had started the other fight. 

    Jack sat down in an armchair and quietly waited while Bunny through himself into the chair he had previously occupied with a huff.


	5. Revealing Icicle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I give up on chapter lengths, my muse cuts me off when she wants to

    North stared at the two Guardians across from him, waiting for one to say something. Bunny was staring at the ground resolvedly. Jack, on the other hand, was looking around at the workshop but occasionally glancing at Bunny in what seemed to be fear or worry. Sighing, North motioned for Jack to explain the encounter that had made Bunny so furious. 

    With one last hesitant glance at Bunny, Jack began. "It's true, I talk to Pitch, but that does **not** mean that I agree with what he did or will do. He's my friend. He listens to me when I need to talk, to vent. You wouldn't understand, you don't have a part of you that you can't control, that you hate! I can do things that I don't want to do. Nobody understands except him. Of the Guardians, the only one who could come even a bit close to understanding would be Sandy and only because he spent lots of time with Pitch and..." exploded Jack. 

    "Whoa whoa whoa, what do you mean you can't control all of yourself," interrupted Bunny, startled by Jack's outburst. 

    Huffing, Jack glared at him. "I control ice and snow, not just frost. I help bring winter to the land, kinda like you bring spring to it. Except I kill anything that doesn't head my frosty warnings. I kill things all the time, **including** people." 

    Silence reined in the room after Jack had finish talking. Neither Bunny nor North had any idea what to say to Jack, they hadn't known that he was capable of that. They too had killed but they had never killed people. 

    A sudden though crossed Bunny's mind. "1968" he breathed. 

    Jack laughed humorlessly. "During the blizzard of 68' I killed over 70 people. Some were kids. I don't deserve to be a Guardian! But I am, so I must do what I can to make amends." 

    Before either Bunny or North could say anything, Jack had flown out the door and, presumably, away from the Pole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based my version of the blizzard of 68' on the Great Blizzard of 1978,  
> https://www.weather.gov/iln/19780126


	6. Comforting Night

    Pitch felt a cold air enter his lair. Very few visited him here, many wanted to meet him on neutral ground for a deal. Only two spirits barged into his home, yet they always announced themselves, either by cold or by golden light. The cold meant that Jack was here and he only visited Pitch at home when he was very upset. Pitch resigned himself to listen to Jack's problems and perhaps he, Pitch, would be able to help out the little frostling. The cold got more intense until Jack finally rounded the corner and burst into the main hall. 

    Immediately he began to pace in front of Pitch, unsure of how to explain his problem but unwilling to keep it to himself anymore. "I..." Jack shook his head and continued his pacing. 

    Pitch stayed silent and watched Jack, waiting for the spirit to speak. Pitch had long learnt that you could not get Jack to talk unless he wanted to talk. After a few minutes of pacing, Pitch grew board and made up some tea for both he and Jack. Jack stopped pacing once he had the tea cup in his hand. He looked up at Pitch with gratitude. They drank their tea in silence. 

    Finally, Jack sighed and started to talk, "I told them. I told them that I have a darker side." 

    Pitch hummed. "Did they say anything?" he asked kindly. 

    Jack slowly shook his head. "Bunny connected the dots a bit and asked about 68' but nothing more than that. I left before they could." 

    Pitch slowly nodded. No point in worrying his friend, they would have to wait for the other shoe to drop if it did. 

************************************************************************************************** 

    Back at the Pole, Bunny and North sat in their chairs, processing what Jack had revealed. North wanted to know more about what had happened in 68' but Jack was gone and Bunny was quiet, he always was about that storm. 

    "Bunny, can you explain more about 68' to me? I must admit I am a little confused." 

    Bunny sighed, "Alright, but first let's call the others, I don't want ta have ta repeat myself." 

    He stood and left to activate the northern lights.


	7. Honest Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the sporadic uploads, my muse isn't the most consistent. I think that this fic will have around 12 chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics= Dreamsand

    In the workroom, all the Guardians, save Jack, had gathered. North had caught Sandy and Tooth up on what had happened while Bunny stared into the fire. He didn't know how he was going to tell them. What had happened on that fateful day still haunted him. 

    A throat was cleared to gain his attention. He turned and saw the others all waiting for him to explain further. With a paw, he motioned to the chairs in the room, hoping the others would sit without asking to many questions. They did. 

    Taking a deep breath, Bunny recounted his tale. "It was Easter morning. I had just finished hiding eggs in Mexico and the Southern United States. I got to the more northern states when I found snow, a bit at first but it got worse and worse the farther north I went. It was already late April so this much snow was very out of the ordinary and I grew concerned. It was a giant blizzard that covered a good part of the north-eastern states. Finally, I popped up in Maine and I saw what I thought was the cause of the blizzard, a winter spirit, Jack. I confronted Jack, I was so angry, Easter had been ruined by him and his storm." Bunny shook his head. His true shame would be revealed. "I... I hit him, pushed him into a few trees. He tried to fight back but he was too weak. I took my anger out on him, yelling horrible things at him. I regretted it later, but the damage was done and the children didn't have Easter outside, it was too dangerous. Afterwards, I had heard that people had died of hypothermia, but I don't blame Jack for that. To be honest, I didn't connect that he or his storm had even killed people." 

    The room was silent. Bunny refused to meet anyone's eye, afraid he of what he would find. A hand on his shoulder startled him. Looking up, he saw Tooth with a small smile. 

    "It's alright Bunny. We understand. You were angry, but you didn't want to hurt him." 

    Bunny glanced at the others and found a similar sentiment on their faces. He ducked his head once more. "I want to apologize to Jack but I don't know how. I feel much worse now, especially since he said that the storm was out of his control." 

    Sandy floated over and waved to catch Bunny's attention. _You could spend some time with him. He normally doesn’t do very much in the spring, it's his down time. He still visits other parts of the world but he doesn't do anything._

    Bunny nodded, that sounded like a good idea. "I might leave him a gift too. Do any of you know where he lives?" 

    The others all shook their heads and Sandy once again got their attention. 

     _He doesn't have a 'Home' as you would call it. He's a nomad, he travels on the wind. He doesn't sleep, believe me, I know. If he needs to rest, I've seen him lay in trees but I don't think he has a place to call his own._

    The others felt their hearts drop. Jack had been ever moving since he had been created? Must be a sad life. North immediately started to plan a room for the spirit here in the Pole while Tooth vowed to give Jack free access to the Tooth Palace, so he could visit her and her girls when he pleased. Bunny considered inviting the little snowflake into his warren to stay, but he figured that Jack would want to avoid him for a while. Still, he planned to let Jack visit at his heart's content as long as he didn't mess with the googy plants. 

     Sandy could see his friends thinking of ways to make it up to Jack and he laughed. Still, he didn't want them to overwhelm Jack. 

     _Don't overwhelm the poor boy. He's not used to have friends that are so giving. In fact, I think before joining the Guardians, he only had a few friends. I know he and Pitch are close enough and I sometimes see Jack with Hallow's Eve but many spirits seem to avoid him. Every now and then, a Native American spirit will ask for his help but other than that, he seems to spend the majority of his time alone._

    "But you and Jack are friends, right?" Asked Tooth. 

     _In a way. He and I wave to each over and occasionally have small talk but we are both very busy spirits. I never have down time and Jack only gets late spring and early autumn off. He does, after all, help out around the world, regardless of local winter spirits or not._

    The other Guardians nodded.

    Meeting pretty much done, the Guardians split up, going back to work or to rest. Bunny raced back to the warren, thoughts about Jack and his fate up till now bouncing around in his mind. He would be getting the best gift ever from Bunny whether he wanted it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C).
> 
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682


	8. Talkative Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics = Dreamsand

    Pitch was roaming around near Boston, spreading a few nightmares here and there. Sandy always let him spread a few nightmares to keep him going. Sandy also understood the necessity of having fear. Fear was, after all, the only reason children didn't run into the street or touch a hot stove. Whether it be the fear of what would happen or simply the fear of how their parents would react, fear, more often than not, protected many children. The other Guardians didn't really understand the impact Pitch had on children but they understood that he was necessary and that he helped the children in his own way. 

    A bright golden light caught his attention and he turned to see Sandy land next to him. Sandy waved at him and he nodded his head in acknowledgment. They continued along the street, both sending out their sand at appropriate areas. 

    "What can I do for you Sanderson?" asked Pitch. 

     _The Guardians have been made aware of Jack and his darker side. Bunnymund and North called a meeting not long after he left. I'm assuming that Jack went to see you._

    "You assume correctly. He was very worried, pacing almost non-stop for a good half hour. I'm slightly concerned about the reaction of the Guardians if Bunnymund's reaction to us talking is anything to go off of, it will not end well." 

     _You worry too much Kozmotis. The others felt bad and wanted to make amends to Jack. Bunnymund even wanted to leave a gift for Jack to find at home._

    Pitch stopped and looked Sandy in the eyes, "Frost doesn't have a permanent residence. How will the rabbit leave him a gift?" 

    Sandy smiled at Pitch. _I informed them that Jack did not have a home as they would think of it, that instead he prefers to live on the ever-moving wind. They seemed appalled. It surprised me that they had such a reaction, I don't have a permanent residence either. I digress, they will most likely offer free access to their home to Jack in an attempt to rectify this supposed wrong._

    "They might be under the impression that Frost needs the same thing that they do, food, water and sleep. I don't think Jack ever told them he was undead as he told us. Even if he did, I would not be certain if they fully grasp what it means. It would make sense that they would worry if that was the case. They do not worry about you because they know that you don't need these basic things while they do." 

    Sandy nodded. A slightly wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. _He will be in for a surprise next meeting. I do not doubt that Bunnymund is making a gift for him and I would not be surprised if North does the same._

    Pitch chuckled. "I'll expect Jack to zoom into my lair soon enough. He certainly won't react the way they think he will react." 

    A cold wind came across both of them. Jack floated out of the sky and landed lightly on his feet. 

    "Hey guys, what's up?" He asked. 

    The other two shook their head to signify that 'not much had been up', as Jack had put it. 

    "Well I have some gossip if you want to hear," He said mischievously. 

    Sandy clapped his hands in excitement while Pitch rolled his eyes. 

    "So, get this, Jack started with a laugh that he couldn't contain. The Groundhog threw a party the other day and he and the Leprechaun got into a fight. Groundhog kinda won so the next day, Leprechaun flooded his house with packing peanuts and dyed the shower water a bright green. Hog couldn't get out of his house without being completely covered in green water and packing peanuts. Leprechaun took pictures." 

    Jack showed them a picture of the Groundhog dyed green and covered in packing peanuts as promised. Jack was still clutching his stomach from laughing. Just recounting the tale made him laugh. 

    "You should give this to the rabbit," drawled Pitch. 

    Jack straitened suddenly. "You think so? Maybe I should? You know what, I will." He grabbed the picture and took off with a wave off his hand, speeding towards the Warren. 

    Sandy and Pitch silently watched him leave, knowing that he would be overwhelmed by a remorseful Bunnymund once he got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to wish my friend Sidney a Happy Birthday because I know she reads my writing. You rock girl, love you <3


	9. Bright Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I have been reluctant to write. We are suffering from a 40°C (104°F) heatwave. We normally only get around 25°C to 30°C (77°F to 86°F). Hopefully this will make up for the lack of updates :)

    Jack sped over the ocean heading towards Australia, somewhere he rarely visited. Now, as he approached it, he took time to marvel at the familiar yet alien landscape. Cities and towns still took up room like in the United Sates but instead of humanity pushing into nature, here it seemed that nature was pushing back. Landing near a town more inland, Jack sat to wait. He didn't want to intrude into the Warren, especially after what had happened.

**************************************************************************************************

     Bunny was in his burrow, trying his best to make a painting that Jack would enjoy. He knew that even though the boy had no place to call his own, he could still give him the painting and store it until Jack could hang it. Bunny had tried many different ideas for his painting but nothing seemed to fit. Flowers or a sunny landscape seemed to odd for the winter spirit. A winter landscape was too cliché, snowmen and snowflakes were also a no go since they were brought and made by Jack himself. A portrait would just be a bad idea since Bunny knew that Jack didn't like looking at his reflection.

     Sighing defeated, Bunny started to clean up his workstation when he suddenly felt a cold breeze come through one of his tunnels. It highly unlikely that Jack would come barging into his Warren, which meant that he was waiting on the surface for Bunny to let him in. Quickly putting away his things, Bunny made his way towards the cold spot that would be Jack.

     Double tapping the ground near the spot, Bunny jumped onto the surface to see Jack sitting patiently for him.

     "Hey Bun-bun. Want to see something amazing?" Said Jack with a huge smile.

     Bunny nodded and Jack leaped to his feet. Jack handed Bunny the picture of the Groundhog.

     Immediately, Bunny burst into laughter. "Did... did you do this?" he said through said laughter.

    Jack shook his head. “Nah, that was the Leprechaun. He and Groundhog got into a fight and this was Leprechaun’s revenge.” 

    “Thanks for showing this to me mate. It really brightened up my day.” 

    “Your welcome Bun-bun.” 

    They stood quietly, peacefully, for a while. However, a question bounced around Bunny’s mind. 

    “Hey Jack. I would like to ask you a question, but I don’t know if it’s too personal. If it is, just tell me, ya? I’ll drop it.” 

    Jack tilted his head. “What do you mean Bun-bun? You can ask me anything.” 

    Bunny sighed and sat, motioning for Jack to do the same. Jack sat with a curious look on his face. 

    “Do... do you ever miss being alive? Before you became a spirit?” Bunny asked, nerves running through him. 

    Jack sat, stunned. Bunny wanted to know more about his life before? He had not told the Guardians much, other than the fact that he had died saving his sister and that he had been reborn from the ice by the moon. They knew he didn’t need to eat or sleep, although he could if he wanted to. Maybe this was Bunny’s attempt to make amends to Jack, even though Jack felt as if there was nothing to amend. 

    “Well, I try not to think much about what is different. For me, it’s more like I went from one person to another. I’m not the same person as the boy who died in to pond all those years ago. But, if there is one thing I do miss about that life, it’s my little sister Emma. She was so bright, so full of life and I loved her so much. Even now, I remember how she used to sit at the edge of the pond and I’d sit next to her, even if I didn’t remember her.” he said, the wistfulness in his voice breaking Bunny’s heart. 

    Together they sat, Jack telling stories from his past to Bunny and Bunny sharing his memories of the Earth so long ago that there is no record of it anywhere.


	10. Painted Mist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! I'm so proud and I want to thank everyone who read my story! Please tell me what you think in the comments <3
> 
> Warning for boys kissing
> 
> Did you know that the word for the day after tomorrow is overmorrow, but I couldn't use it well in the story. Also, a fortnight is 2 weeks.

    Tooth fluttered about her palace, ordering the fairies around with the help of Baby Tooth, who had become her second in command. The feeling of another Guardian on her territory alerted her to Bunny’s presence. Bunny’s ears were sticking out of his hole, twitching around to hear of any danger before their owner jump out of the hole and into view. 

    “Hey Tooth, how are you?” Bunny asked 

    Tooth looked him over critically. “I’ve been good, but I don’t think that you came here for a chat. Come, let’s sit and discus over tea.” 

    She led him into a tea room and busied herself with the tea, hoping that Bunny would feel more comfortable enough to tell her what was bothering him soon enough. Giving him a cup of green tea and clutching her own, Tooth sat on the ottomans that populated her room. 

    After taking a few sips of his tea, Bunny sighed. He knew her needed Tooth’s help for his project but he didn’t want to have to explain himself. He barely understood his own emotions regarding the matter. Deciding to bite the bullet, Bunny started to explain why he was visiting Tooth. 

    “Listen, this may sound weird but I need to look through Jack’s memories.” 

    Immediately, Tooth shook her head. “I can’t do that. They are his memories and unless he is here to give you his express permission, I won’t let you see them. Memories, especially memories of us before we were Guardians, are very precious and private. Why do you want to see them? What do you want to see?” 

    Bunny put down his tea. “Well, you see, I want to make a present for Jack to apologise. I had no idea what to do but the other day, Jack can over and we talked about our past. He seemed so wistful when he talked about his sister and he said that her sadness and the fact that he couldn’t see her grow up was the only regret he has about leaving his mortal life. She’s long dead but I was hoping I could see an image of her or two from Jack’s memories so I could paint a picture of her for him.” 

    All was quiet in the room, Bunny refusing to look up at Tooth, when Tooth suddenly let out a high-pitched scream. Startled Bunny looked up and saw Tooth with the biggest smile on her face and clutching a pillow very tightly. 

    “Oh my Moon! Are you in love with Jack?” asked Tooth, wide eyes trained on Bunny. 

    “What?! No! I’m not in love with Jack. What are you talking about?” he spluttered. 

    “You are!” she squealed. 

    “Listen sheila. I don’t know if I love him. All I know is that I hurt him and that I need to make up for that. I also know that he loves his sister very dearly. That’s why I wanted to paint him the painting, not because I want him to be mine,” grumbled Bunny. 

    Tooth considered what she could do to help the male in front of her. “I really shouldn’t show you any of his memories but in this case, I’ll make an exception. I’ll find some memories of just Emma and I can show you those.” 

    Bunny let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks so much Tooth. I owe you.” 

    Tooth waved his words away and sipped the little tea remaining in her cup after she had dropped it. “It will take some time but I should get them to you by tomorrow or the day after. I assume that this is a need-to-know operation. 

    Bunny nodded then left. Tooth on the other hand, went to fetch Jack’s memories and started to work on them. She wanted her friends to be happy, whether they were together or not. 

************************************************************************************************** 

    A fortnight after his deal with Tooth, Bunny invited Jack over for a visit. Bunny was planning on giving the completed portrait to Jack after supper but Jack didn’t know that. 

    Now, Bunny stood in his kitchen, making a soup for supper along with a salad and a strawberry cake in the oven for dessert. He hoped that Jack would like his food. Everything was vegetarian as per Jack’s request. Jack’s reasoning for his apparent vegetarianism was the fact that for the longest time, only animals could see him and he felt bad for killing those he thought of as friends. 

    A cold wind entered the Warren and alerted Bunny to his guest’s presence. Wiping his hands, Bunny went to open the door and saw Jack stand on his stoop, nervously holding his staff. 

    Opening the door, Bunny spoke. “Hello Jack. I’m glad that you could make it. Come on in, supper is almost finished.” 

    Jack nodded his head and stepped into the house. 

    Leading Jack into the dining room merged with the kitchen, Bunny sat Jack down at the table before serving the salad. 

    “I hope you’re hungry. I made salad, soup and cake.” 

    Jack took a bite of his food, humming in pleasure. “It’s very good.” 

    Bunny angled his head in acknowledgment and continued to eat, starting a small conversation with Jack. 

************************************************************************************************** 

    After supper and a good conversation, Jack and Bunny found themselves in the living room of the house. The two sat across from each other, chatting about various things over tea and cake. 

    Finally, during a lull in the conversation, Bunny stood. “I have something else for you Jackie.” 

    “You didn’t have too, even supper was too much,” protested Jack. 

    Waving away Jack’s protests, Bunny left to get the portrait. 

    Upon seeing the painting, Jack’s eyes grew two sizes. “A painting Bunny? You really didn’t have too.” 

    “I did. Here, I want you to have this,” Bunny said as he gave the portrait to Jack. 

    Jack stared at the painting that he was handed. Speechless, he stared at the portrait. Staring back at him was Emma, a bright smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She was looking at him and reaching out her hand, like she wanted to hold his, much like they did when they went to the market. 

    A strangled gasp came out of Jack’s throat. Immediately, Bunny went to Jack’s side. 

    “Are you alright?” 

    Jack nodded and focused on his breathing. 

    “Listen Jack, I didn’t want you to freak out. I shouldn’t have painted her. I’m so sorry,” rambled Bunny while he reached for the portrait in Jack’s hands. 

    “It’s ok Bunny. I love it! I was just surprised, that’s all.” Jack reassured as he stood and placed the portrait on his seat. “Did you do this all on your own, just for me?” he asked softly 

    Bunny nodded. “I got a little help from Tooth for an image of your sister but that’s it.” 

    Bunny grunted, surprised, when he suddenly had an armful of winter spirt. Looking down, he came face to face with Jack, who had a huge smile on his face. He couldn’t help but smile back at Jack. Squeezing the winter sprite closer to him, Bunny hummed. 

    Looking up at Bunny’s content face, Jack had a sudden urge to kiss the man. Not one for ignoring his urges or instincts, he lifted himself up on his tiptoes to kiss the Pooka. 

    Bunny opened his eyes in surprise at the cold lips on his, but he relaxed into the chaste kiss. 

    They broke apart with blushes, Jack’s a pretty purple and Bunny’s hidden beneath his fur. Jack, however, cuddled back into the Pooka’s arms. Bunny tightened his arms around Jack. 

    “What does this mean Jack?” whispered Bunny. 

    “I don’t know, but I want to stay with you,” replied Jack, his face buried in Bunny’s torso. 

    “Okay, we can do that,” was the reply he got. 

    Bunny moved them over to the sofa and they cuddled, watching the night come to the Warren.


End file.
